Rhianan Rudd carved a swastika into her head twice after she was groomed by neo-Nazis online – her mum Emily shared a warning to other parents
The mother of a 14-year-old girl who carved a swastika into her head said the vulnerable teen was radicalised by online racists.
Rhianan Rudd, from Nottinghamshire, had been a “bubbly, lighthearted” schoolgirl before she was groomed by depraved people through online neo-Nazis message boards. The teen, once described by a social worker as “the most vulnerable child” they “had ever come across”, was radicalised by US white supremacist Christopher Cook – who was later jailed over a terrorist plot to attack power grids. The young girl’s mum, Emily Carter, put out a warning to other parents that young children are being targeted by extreme far-right groups online.
Rhianan, who had autism and mental health issues, had little to no chance of escape due to her extreme vulnerability. The neo-Nazi sicko corrupted the teenager’s mind with conspiracy theories about holocaust denial, anti-Semitism and racism.
The teen met the white supremacist on messaging app Discord during the Covid-19 lockdown before they started a “relationship”. Despite brave mum Emily’s efforts, Cook’s influence led Rhianan to carve a swastika into her head twice, make threats of becoming a suicide bomber and racially abuse a black person on the street, according to the Daily Star.
The teenager’s condition worsened when she was placed into a children’s home and, after suffering a three-day mental health breakdown, she killed herself in May 2022 when she was just 16.
Rhianan had become the youngest girl charged with terrorism offences in the UK. The teen was charged with six counts relating to the downloading of a bomb manual and sending WhatsApp messages detailing her desire “to kill someone in school or blow up a Jewish place of worship”. The charges were later dropped.
Brave mum Emily opened up and told The Sun her daughter was not the only British teen to be targeted by sick extremists online. She said: “Knowing how prevalent this is makes me feel sick, it’s heinous and disgusting.
“There are grown men targeting vulnerable children and kids who are quiet or nerdy or spend a lot of time on their computers. They keep whispering in their ears until the change is made. They are being brainwashed and their lives and thoughts are being turned inside out, and why? Because these people want something from them.”
The mum explained how her daughter’s conversion to neo-Nazism started with a fondness for a German character in the game Fortnight. Rhianan has dreamed of opening a cafe in Germany but things took a dark turn when she connected with Cook online.
Emily said: “Her fixation became deeper, deeper and deeper to the point where it was no longer a fixation, she was being groomed.”
**For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email **[email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.